Product Comparison: Westone W50 vs Shure SE846

he Westone W50 features a five driver system with an unrivaled sound signature, tuned by artists, with a powerful low frequency driver, dual mid and high frequency drivers to make the sound mix smooth and balanced across all frequencies. Westone's 50 plus years experience with in-ear applications has yielded a low-profile, lightweight, universal earpiece which delivers maximum comfort and in-ear coupling for dynamic transfer of sound. Westone's balanced armature drivers are significantly more compact and efficient than traditional dynamic drivers.

The SE846 delivers extended high-end clarity and unparalleled low-end performance. Evolved from personal monitor technology road-tested by pro musicians and fine-tuned by Shure engineers, the SE846 features a patent-pending design that includes a groundbreaking low-pass filter. This technology enables the deep low-end performance of a true subwoofer without sacrificing clarity or detail of mids or highs. Comfortable Sound Isolating sleeves block up to 37 dB of ambient noise, whether onstage or on-the-go. Customizable frequency response, detachable cables, and a wide variety of accessories ensure an unequalled, perfectly tailored listening experience for the most discerning audio enthusiast.

The fit is superb for my ears, probably as close to perfect as I'd get without custom ear monitors. I'm a new Westone Fan!

They are also super small, and have small sleeves, so very comfortable. Great with SpinFit tips. Yes, they are very expensive, but so is the competition, and I prefer these to the other flagships I've tried.

These headphone shells have a very stick and lightweight rounded design, and the most important – they stay the same size regardless of driver config.

They block noises very good, very light weight and comfortable

The longer silicon ones were great and bright. Comfortable and good isolation, plus quicker and easier to insert.

Shure SE846 Sound Isolating Earphones

Better than any of the apple earbuds or random-brand cheap earbuds I've owned. They're super comfortable so I can easily sleep with them on.

This bundle let me get the color I wanted (clear) without spending more $$ on a separate cable. Overall, a no-brainer.

Features

Style

Unisex

Unisex

Headphone Fit

In-Ear

In-Ear

Cord Length

4.2 feet

3.83 feet

Built-In Microphone

Yes

Yes

Controls

Volume, Start/End call

Volume, Play/Pause, Start/End call

Sound Isolating

Yes

Yes

Water Resistant

No

No

Extras

5-driver system, 3-Button Apple control system with microphone

Quad high-definition MicroDrivers, Durable Kevlar reinforced cables, Removable cable and nozzle components ensure a long product life by providing easy and efficient cleaning and part replacement

A terrific soundstage, fast, lots of clarity, out of site for female vocals, great for acoustiic/orchestral, which I think is the hardest thing for any audiophile product to deal with, and the lower and mid bass are very, very accurate and sweet.

Love, love, love these headphones!!!! Sound quality is superb and I love how I have the option to use on the iPhone as headset with microphone. Clarity is fantastic. These are my upgrade from my previous Westones that didn't even come with the option to use on my IPhone.

Great sound with the foam ear pieces (terrible on my ears with all of the silicone ones), a bit of a deep bass response but clarity throughout. The fit is superb for my ears, probably as close to perfect as I'd get without custom ear monitors. I'm a new Westone Fan!

High noise isolation, can't hear much even without sound playing.

I like bass, but these are overkill. I say that because the bass bleeds into men's vocals and becomes obnoxious. Fitting a looser earpiece with more acoustic venting is too thin sounding. Returning these.

Not many cons I have found so far, except the Alo reference cable, can be annoying AF if you plan to listen to W80 with the cable while moving around. Otherwise, stick to the original cable.

Shure SE846 Sound Isolating Earphones

These are just great. Great quality. I am a drummer and play live shows alot.

Sound quality is pretty good. Also nice to use while running as they stay in ear quite well.

Unbelievable sound, very balanced, if you want more bass or treble sounds you have to equalize in the device

The headphones DO NOT have the built in mic and volume control (at least the package I got).

I love the headphones, but the mic/remote kit is completely useless. The volume buttons do not control the volume on my phone.

I'm enjoying the headphones but they don't isolate quite as much noise as I was hoping they would